TOKYO (Reuters) – Myanmar’s first satellite is being held aboard the International Space Station after the coup in Myanmar, while the Japanese space agency and a Japanese university decide what to do with it, two Japanese university officials said.
The $ 15 million satellite was built by Japan’s Hokkaido University in a joint venture with Myanmar, the government – funded Myanmar Aerospace Engineering University (MAEU). It is the first of a set of two 50 kg microsatellites equipped with cameras designed to monitor agriculture and fisheries.
Human rights activists and some officials in Japan are concerned that the cameras could be used for military purposes on February 1.
This hampered the deployment as Hokkaido University held talks with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Hokkaido University officials said.
“We will not get involved in anything that has to do with the military. The satellite was not designed for that, “one of the officials, a manager of the project, told Reuters and asked not to be identified.
‘We’re discussing what to do, but we do not know when it will be used. If it is stopped, we hope that the project can be started again at some point. ‘
The driver did not say when the satellite would be deployed, or when a decision would have to be made by JAXA to proceed or postpone it.
The second Hokkaido University official said the contract with MAEU did not stipulate that the satellite could not be used for military purposes. However, the second official said that the data of the spacecraft was collected by the Japanese university and that the officials of Myanmar could not access them independently.
Since the coup, university officials have not been able to contact the rector of MAEU, Prof Kyi Thwin, the second official added.
JAXA officials could not be reached for comment. MAEU did not respond to calls for comment, nor did a junta spokesman in Myanmar.
The satellite was launched by NASA on February 20 as a small part of a large and varied cargo cargo to the International Space Station 400 km (250 miles) above the earth. It has since been preserved by JAXA in the Kibo Experiment Module in Japan. JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi is one of seven crew members now aboard the space station.
Japan has close ties with Myanmar and is one of its largest donors. While condemning the violence, it did not take such a harsh stance against the coup as the United States and some other Western countries imposed sanctions.
Although the spacecraft was not built according to military specifications, Teppei Kasai, program officer of Human Rights Watch in Asia, said it would be easy for the Myanmar army leaders to apply the technology for military use.
“The Japanese universities involved must therefore suspend the project and urgently review it for possible human rights risks,” Kasai said.
Reporting by Tim Kelly; Edited by Peter Graff